Caligo
Banned
Now this timeline explores how & what impact there would be had "Scythians" or at least their descendants survived into the modern day. The point of divergences in this timeline comes in 1238 AD. In this timeline the Mongols convince the Alans to break their alliance with the Cumans & align themselves with the Mongols. These Alans by the 13th Century are the last remaining Iranian speaking descendants of the Scythians in Europe at this time. They posses a Kingdom that takes up most of the interior of the Pontic Steppe. They were converted to the Orthodox Christian faith in the early 10th century. In our own timeline the Alans were pushed south into the Caucasus & many massacred by the Mongol General Timur. In this timeline however the Mongols accept Alania as a client state. Very little in Europe proper would change. Only until the Russian Empire expanded into the north Caucasus in the 17th century would we even know the Alans still existed. The Alans fearing Ottoman Incursions would quickly align with the fellow Orthodox power, Russia. One event that I could see not taking part as a result of the Alans' continued presence in the Caucasus is the Circassian genocide. In this timeline ethnic Russians would be a small minority in the North Caucasus. Alans, Kalmyks, Circassians, Ukrainians, Chechens, Azeris, Georgians & Armenians would composite the Caucasus region or Russia. The Russian Empire couldn't have the iron grip over this region. They would have to rely on loyal tribes (mainly the Orthodox Alans) to maintain peace & loyalty to the Russian Czar among other tribes of the Caucasus.
[Modern day borders of the Republic of Alania within the Russian Federation & of South Ossetia within the Republic of Georgia]
[Flag of the Short-lived Socialist Republic of Alania]

[Modern flag of the Republic of Alania]
Much of history would remain unchanged. The Alans would join the White Forces during the Russian revolution only to fall in 1920. A short-lived Socialist Republic of Alania would be established in 1922 but the Soviet Union wouldn't recognize it as it's seen to threatened the USSR's supremacy over the North Caucasus. During WWII the Alans would collaborate with German Forces in Caucasus. This would result in harsh treatment from the Soviets following the war. Following the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991 there would be a growing movement for Alanian independence but it going nowhere. Alania north of the Caucasus Mountains become a Republic within the Russian federation and Alania south of the Caucasus Mountains becomes a part of the Republic of Georgia. The only real divergence in this timeline would occur in the 21st century. the Russo-Georgian War of 2008 would never occur in this timeline. Russia would not see breaking Abkhazia off of Georgia as advantageous. The Abkhazians would see themselves as ethnic Circassians & natural enemies of Russia. Russia would already have issues with terrorist attacks from the Sunni Circassians. Russia would not start a war on behalf of the Abkhazians. Similarly Alania would have good relations with both Russia & Georgia. Not wanting a conflict between the two Alania would work to defuse any tension between South Ossetia & Georgia. Another consequence of Russian settlement not being to the scale it was in our own timeline in this region is the Russian annexation of Crimea never would have taken place. There would actually be the opposite situation. There would be a mixed Ukrainian/Russian population along the Pontic coast still. Some of these Ukrainian Russians would be agitating to join Ukraine instead.
[Modern day borders of the Republic of Alania within the Russian Federation & of South Ossetia within the Republic of Georgia]
[Flag of the Short-lived Socialist Republic of Alania]

[Modern flag of the Republic of Alania]
Much of history would remain unchanged. The Alans would join the White Forces during the Russian revolution only to fall in 1920. A short-lived Socialist Republic of Alania would be established in 1922 but the Soviet Union wouldn't recognize it as it's seen to threatened the USSR's supremacy over the North Caucasus. During WWII the Alans would collaborate with German Forces in Caucasus. This would result in harsh treatment from the Soviets following the war. Following the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991 there would be a growing movement for Alanian independence but it going nowhere. Alania north of the Caucasus Mountains become a Republic within the Russian federation and Alania south of the Caucasus Mountains becomes a part of the Republic of Georgia. The only real divergence in this timeline would occur in the 21st century. the Russo-Georgian War of 2008 would never occur in this timeline. Russia would not see breaking Abkhazia off of Georgia as advantageous. The Abkhazians would see themselves as ethnic Circassians & natural enemies of Russia. Russia would already have issues with terrorist attacks from the Sunni Circassians. Russia would not start a war on behalf of the Abkhazians. Similarly Alania would have good relations with both Russia & Georgia. Not wanting a conflict between the two Alania would work to defuse any tension between South Ossetia & Georgia. Another consequence of Russian settlement not being to the scale it was in our own timeline in this region is the Russian annexation of Crimea never would have taken place. There would actually be the opposite situation. There would be a mixed Ukrainian/Russian population along the Pontic coast still. Some of these Ukrainian Russians would be agitating to join Ukraine instead.